With a dedicated multilingual customer support team, you'll be able to get assistance wherever you are any time of the day.
No one wants to think about what can go wrong while on the road (or how much it can cost you if something does), and with RentalCover.com's policies for car rental excess insurance, you can take a bit of the worry away.
RentalCover.com gives extra protection on top of any basic cover your car rental company may provide, and insures you for up to $100,000 against vehicle theft or damage - including cracked windscreens, flat tyres, damaged headlights, lost keys and towing costs. It'll also cover costs associated with fixing the car including any credit card fees and administrative costs that may be charged by a mechanic.
RentalCover.com's policies average out to be about 50% less than the average excess insurance that you can add on at the rental desk direct from the car hire company, which can cost up to $30 per day and not necessarily offer the $0 excess that all RentalCover.com policies include. Depending on where in the world you're getting extra cover, policies range from $5 to $15 per day. The company also has a price-beat guarantee, so if you do come across excess coverage for less, just let them know and they'll beat it (not available for bookings in the USA).
We did a test booking for excess in Australia for a range of one to seven days to see how much it costs.
| Number of Days | Price (Total) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $13.91 |
| 2 | $25.04 |
| 3 | $36.18 |
| 4 | $44.63 |
| 5 | $61.21 |
| 6 | $73.72 |
| 7 | $86.25 |
Car rental companies will typically offer excess reduction cover, which can also be referred to as an excess waiver or damage waiver. This type of policy, as the name suggests, reduces the amount of excess you will have to pay in the event that your rental car is damaged.
While this reduces your excess from a significant amount to something much more manageable, you could still have to pay an excess of up to $1,000.
If you're in an accident or have any damage to your car, you'll need to first pay the rental car company whatever they charge for the damage. You then can claim back the charges online via email, but you'll need the following documents to do so:
RentalCover.com averages a three-day turnaround for claims.
When you’re setting off for a holiday, sometimes you want to rent a vehicle a little bigger than a run-of-the-mill passenger vehicle. For many tourists in Australia and New Zealand, motorhomes and campervans offer an innovative and affordable way to travel. Of course, typical rental company excess costs for these vehicles can be quite expensive, so RentalCover.com offers protection for hirers of campervans and motorhomes in Australia and New Zealand.
These policies work in exactly the same way as RentalCover.com’s policies for ordinary rental vehicles, covering you when your campervan or motorhome is crashed, stolen or damaged. For a much lower cost than an excess reduction policy from your rental provider, RentalCover.com reimburses you the total amount of any excess you are required to pay. While rental companies will exclude a broad range of situations and circumstances from their excess reduction coverage, RentalCover.com offers protection for an extensive range of incidents. Cover is included for the following:
In addition, RentalCover.com policies are tailored to the market in which they are offered, designed to cover specific risks unique to that country. For example, as kangaroos are a hazard for Australian drivers, RentalCover.com’s Australian policies contain cover for damage caused by hitting animals.
RentalCover.com 4x4 Excess Cover provides protection in a much broader range of circumstances and situations than what you'll get direct from the car hire company.
For example, while companies like Apollo and Wicked will not cover vehicle rollovers regardless of the cause, RentalCover.com protects you in such situations. Many companies will not cover overhead and underbody damage no matter what the circumstances, while a RentalCover.com policy will. Of course, RentalCover.com also ensures that you do not have to be put out of pocket for any excess when your rental 4WD is damaged. This could end up saving you lots of money and gives you the confidence and peace of mind you need to simply relax and enjoy your travels.
If you're ready to take out car rental excess cover with RentalCover.com, you can follow the secure link in the table above through to the RentalCover.com website to receive a free quote and apply for cover. Finder always recommends that you take the time to view the policy terms and conditions before purchasing cover to know exactly what you are covered for. RentalCover.com's team is always on hand to answer any questions you may have regarding your policy.
Receive a quote from RentalCover.com
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What to do if you have an accident in a rental car and how to protect yourself in the future.
Read the review for Car Hire Excess Insurance. Compare its cover features and receive a quote.
Hire. Republic of Ireland 7-11 Nov.
Hire. Israel. 15-20 Nov.
Both with BUDGET.
Quote please
Driver 72. Full license-. No accidents or claims. No infingments.
Hi Max,
To get a quote for your trip you’ll need to contact the insurer directly. You can visit them at their website, rentalcover.com
I’m planning to rent a car in Tasmania through [Trip.com / Alamo / Hertz / Bargain / Thrifty], and I’m considering purchasing your rental car excess insurance. Before proceeding with the booking, I would appreciate it if you could kindly confirm the following points:
1. Is your insurance policy valid for car rentals booked through Trip.com, Alamo, Hertz, Bargain, or Thrifty?
2. Does your policy cover collisions with animals or wildlife (e.g., kangaroos or wallabies), including damages resulting from swerving to avoid them?
3. Is there a $0 excess with your policy? If not, what is the process for refunding the excess after an incident?
4. Does the policy include cover for the following?
• Windscreen and window damage
• Tyre damage
• Underbody and roof damage
• Single vehicle accidents
5. Are accidents that occur during night-time hours (e.g., after sunset) covered?
6. What documents are required to make a claim, and how long is the average processing time?
7. Are there any exclusions or situations in which the policy would not apply?
8. If there are additional drivers listed on the rental agreement, are they also covered under your policy?
Thank you in advance for your assistance. I look forward to your reply.
Kind regards,
Yutaro Kaseda
Hi Yutaro,
We’re a review and comparison site, you’d need to contact RentalCover.com directly for answers to these questions. Unfortunately I just looked them up, and they don’t offer phone support – the only way to contact them is through their portal, for which you have to register and login. However, this page outlines their Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), so you might find some of the answers you’re looking for here. Best of luck!
Hopefully I’ll be visiting UK and Ireland next Spring.
Must I book cover separately for each country.
Car rental for each country would be about 10 days.
Or can I get one policy to cover both.
Hello Aidan,
I’m hoping to do a similar trip at some point next year. I’ll have my fingers crossed for you.
I spoke to Travel Insurance Saver (who partner with nib Travel Insurance) about this. They confirmed you’d be covered as long as you specify both the UK and Ireland as separate destinations on the one policy.
Always be sure to review the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of each travel policy you compare, and call the insurer directly if you’d like to clarity anything.
Also, keep in mind that your options for international cover will be quite limited at the current time. And be sure to stay across the latest travel restrictions and exemptions on the government’s website <https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/travel-restrictions>.
Regards,
James
Hi,
I’m planning to hire a car in San Francisco, Vancouver and Las Vegas. What would be the best option for me regarding insurance?
Thanks.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for getting in touch with Finder.
If you consider RentalCover.com, you may click the ‘Get quote’ button to be redirected to their official page where you may get instant quotes.
Your options would be getting excess reduction cover straight from a rental company. This is convenient but could be more expensive than the other options. A standalone car rental excess insurance policy is a good option if you need a flexible policy designed specifically for car rentals and cheaper than the others or travel insurance with rental excess feature. This option is ideal if you’re already planning a trip that requires comprehensive travel insurance.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni
Hi,
Let’s say, there’s an excess risk of 5000 AUD on our rental camper. However my credit card company covers the first 2000 AUD of excess, risk in case of damage etc. Should I take an insurance for the full amount of 5000 AUD or can I take an excess risk insurance only for the amount between 2000 and 5000 AUD?
Hi Maart,
Thank you for getting in touch with finder.
For this, you would need to take out excess for the full $5000 as you can’t have multiple insurers to cover you for the same excess.
I hope this helps.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any other enquiries.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Jeni